{{Short description|American football player (born 2002)}} {{Use American English|date=December 2025}} {{Use mdy dates|date=December 2025}} {{Infobox college football player |name=Jacob De Jesus |image= |caption= |birth_date={{birth date and age|2002|3|13}}<ref name=birthday>{{cite tweet|user=jacobdejesus21|number=1238359933185191938|title=So grateful for God giving me another year. I’m thankful for the wonderful life he has paved for me these past 18 years. Excited to see what my savior has in store for me. 🙏🏽 #blessed #EIGHTEEN|access-date=May 22, 2026}}</ref> |birth_place=Manteca, California, U.S. |heightft=5 |heightin=6 |weight_lb=174 |team=Kansas City Chiefs |position=Wide receiver |number=80 |highschool=Manteca (Manteca, California) |college= *Modesto JC (2021–2022) *UNLV (2023–2024) *California (2025) |undraftedyear=2026 |pastteams= * Kansas City Chiefs ({{NFL Year|2026}}–present) |status=Undrafted free agent |highlights= * First-team All-ACC (2025) * 2× First-team All-MW (2023, 2024) |espn=5155179 }} '''Jacob Marcus De Jesus''' (born March 13, 2002)<ref name=birthday /> is an American professional football wide receiver for the Kansas City Chiefs of the National Football League (NFL). He played college football for the Modesto Junior College Pirates, UNLV Rebels, and California Golden Bears.
== Early life == De Jesus attended Manteca High School in Manteca, California. As a junior, he was named co-Offensive Player of the Year of the Valley Oak League.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Niendorf |first=Kevin |title=De Jesus stars in Manteca's blowout victory |url=https://www.recordnet.com/story/sports/high-school/football/2019/10/13/de-jesus-stars-in-manteca/2543443007/ |date=2019-10-13 |access-date=2025-12-27 |website=The Stockton Record |language=en-US}}</ref> After receiving no football scholarship offers following his high school career, De Jesus enrolled at Modesto Junior College.<ref name=":0">{{Cite web |last=Teeguarden |first=Ethan |date=2025-09-06 |title=‘I’m going to show you’: Jacob De Jesus stands tall beyond his frame |url=https://www.dailycal.org/sports/msports/football/i-m-going-to-show-you-jacob-de-jesus-stands-tall-beyond-his-frame/article_6059186a-e98b-43dc-9546-cc00249240a9.html |access-date=2025-12-27 |website=www.dailycal.org |language=en}}</ref>
== College career == As a freshman, De Jesus totaled 1,243 all-purpose yards and two receiving touchdowns.<ref name=":0" /> During his sophomore year, he hauled in 64 catches for 914 yards and five touchdowns, before transferring to the University of Nevada, Las Vegas.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Grimala |first=Mike |date=2023-08-14 |title=Jacob De Jesus emerging as star of UNLV football practice — again |url=https://lasvegassun.com/news/2023/aug/14/jacob-de-jesus-emerging-as-star-of-unlv-football-p/ |access-date=2025-12-27 |website=Las Vegas Sun |language=en}}</ref> In his first season at UNLV, De Jesus made an instant impact, establishing himself as the team's primary return specialist.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Fin |first=Callie |date=2024-10-04 |title=Jacob De Jesus balances family, football dreams at UNLV |url=https://www.reviewjournal.com/sports/unlv/unlv-football/jacob-de-jesus-balances-family-football-dreams-at-unlv-3182591/ |access-date=2025-12-27 |website=Las Vegas Review-Journal |language=en-US}}</ref> He finished the 2023 season leading the nation in total return yards with 1,079, while also catching 60 passes for 606 yards and two touchdowns.<ref>{{Cite web |date=2024-06-18 |title=Athlon Sports tabs UNLV football’s De Jesus, White Preseason All-Americans |url=https://www.fox5vegas.com/2024/06/18/athlon-sports-tabs-unlv-footballs-de-jesus-white-preseason-all-americans/ |access-date=2025-12-27 |website=Fox 5 Vegas |language=en}}</ref> In the 2024 LA Bowl, De Jesus totaled 142 all-purpose yards and a touchdown, being named the game's offensive MVP.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Vannoy |first=Jenelle |date=2024-12-27 |title=UNLV's Jacob De Jesus shines as Outstanding Rebel of the Week |url=https://news3lv.com/news/local/unlvs-jacob-de-jesus-shines-as-outstanding-rebel-of-the-week |access-date=2025-12-27 |website=KSNV |language=en}}</ref> Following the conclusion of the 2024 season, he announced his decision to transfer to the University of California, Berkeley.<ref>{{Cite web |date=2025-01-10 |title=UNLV star return specialist announces transfer to Cal |url=https://news3lv.com/sports/content/unlv-star-return-specialist-announces-transfer-to-cal-jacob-de-jesus-golden-bears-mountain-west-acc-southern-nevada-college-sports |access-date=2025-12-27 |website=KSNV |language=en}}</ref> During the 2025 season, De Jesus hauled in 108 receptions, establishing the school record for single season receptions.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Kroner |first=Steve |title=How diminutive Jacob De Jesus is standing tall on Cal’s all-time receptions list |url=https://www.sfchronicle.com/sports/college/article/jacob-de-jesus-standing-tall-cal-s-all-time-21250392.php |website=San Francisco Chronicle}}</ref> At the conclusion of the season, he was named first-team All-ACC.<ref>{{Cite web |date=2025-12-02 |title=Cal's Jacob De Jesus Finds 3 Spots on All-ACC Football Team |url=https://www.si.com/college/cal/football/cal-s-jacob-de-jesus-finds-3-spots-on-all-acc-football-team-01kbg7r7fxvx |access-date=2025-12-27 |website=California Golden Bears On SI |language=en-US}}</ref>
===Statistics=== {| class="wikitable" style="text-align:center;" |+ {{Screen reader-only|College statistics}} ! rowspan="2"| Season ! rowspan="2" |Team ! rowspan="2" | GP ! colspan="4"| Receiving ! colspan="4" |Punt returns ! colspan="4" |Kick returns |- ! Rec !! Yds !! Avg !! TD !! Ret !! Yds !! Avg !! TD !! Ret !! Yds !! Avg !! TD |- ! 2021 ! Modesto | 9 || 41 || 466 || 11.4 || 2 || 7 || 96 || 13.7 || 0 || 21 || 462 || 22.0 || 0 |- ! 2022 ! Modesto | 11 || 64 || 914 || 14.3 || 5 || 11 || 52 || 4.7 || 0 || 12 || 224 || 18.7 || 0 |- ! 2023 ! UNLV | 14 || 60 || 606 || 10.1 || 2 || 16 || 257 || 16.1 || 0 || 32 || 815 || 25.5 || 0 |- ! 2024 ! UNLV | 13 || 36 || 512 || 14.2 || 3 || 25 || 252 || 10.1 || 0 || 9 || 190 || 21.1 || 0 |- ! 2025 ! California | 13 || 108 || 1,021 || 9.5 || 6 || 22 || 259 || 11.8 || 0 || 18 || 363 || 20.2 || 0 |- ! colspan="2" | [https://athletics.mjc.edu/sports/fball/2022-23/bios/dejesus_jacob_lobh?view=career&pos=wr JUCO career] !! 20 !! 105 !! 1,380 !! 13.1 || 7 || 18 || 148 || 8.2 || 0 || 33 || 686 || 20.8 || 0 |- ! colspan="2" | [https://www.footballdb.com/players/jacob-de-jesus-dejes0001 NCAA career] !! 40 !! 204 !! 2,139 !! 10.5 || 11 || 63 || 768 || 12.2 || 0 || 59 || 1,368 || 23.2 || 0 |}
==Professional career== {{NFL predraft | height ft = 5 | height in = 6 | weight = 174 | dash = 4.60 | ten split = 1.62 | twenty split = 2.71 | shuttle = 4.28 | cone drill = 7.22 | vertical = 32.5 | broad ft = 9 | broad in = 6 | bench = 13 | arm span = 27 3/4 | hand span = 8 5/8 | wingspan ft = 5 | wingspan in = 6 7/8 | note = All values from Pro Day<ref>{{Cite web |url=https://draftscout.com/dsprofile.php?PlayerId=1097795&DraftYear=2026 |title=Jacob De Jesus College Football Profile |website=DraftScout.com |access-date=March 27, 2026}}</ref> }} De Jesus signed with the Kansas City Chiefs as an undrafted free agent on May 1, 2026.<ref>{{cite web|title=Breaking Down the Chiefs 2026 Undrafted Free Agent Class|url=https://www.chiefs.com/news/breaking-down-the-chiefs-2026-undrafted-free-agent-class-|author=McMullen, Matt|website=Chiefs.com|date=May 1, 2026}}</ref>
== Personal life == De Jesus has Native Hawaiian ancestry.<ref>{{Cite web |date=December 9, 2025 |title=De Jesus, Uluave 2025 Polynesian College Football POY Finalists |url=https://calbears.com/news/2025/12/9/de-jesus-uluave-polynesian-2025-college-football-poy-finalists.aspx |access-date=2026-04-23 |website=California Golden Bears Athletics}}</ref>
== References == {{Reflist}}
==External links== *[https://athletics.mjc.edu/sports/fball/2022-23/bios/dejesus_jacob_lobh Modesto JC Pirates bio] *[https://unlvrebels.com/sports/football/roster/jacob-de-jesus/16148 UNLV Rebels bio] *[https://calbears.com/sports/football/roster/jacob-de-jesus/26293 California Golden Bears bio] *[https://www.chiefs.com/team/players-roster/jacob-de-jesus/ Kansas City Chiefs bio]
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{{DEFAULTSORT:De Jesus, Jacob}} Category:2002 births Category:Living people Category:21st-century American sportsmen Category:Native Hawaiian sportspeople Category:Players of American football from San Joaquin County, California Category:Sportspeople from Manteca, California Category:American football wide receivers Category:Manteca High School alumni Category:Modesto Pirates football players Category:UNLV Rebels football players Category:California Golden Bears football players Category:Kansas City Chiefs players